


Moments at a Dance

by pulpriter



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-29
Updated: 2015-04-29
Packaged: 2018-03-26 06:44:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3840988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pulpriter/pseuds/pulpriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miss Fisher is feeling smug.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moments at a Dance

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfic, although it's more a series of vignettes. Please review! I own none of these characters but I love them all, especially as portrayed on TV.

Phryne had good reason to feel smug. She was attending one of what she privately referred to as “Aunt Prudence’s social-obligation dances”, and they were usually a dead bore. This time, Phryne had taken matters into her own hands. She had wangled and finagled and contrived to find her way to the dance floor with this particular partner, and it was even better than she had hoped it might be. She told him so, in her own inimitable way.  
“Why, Inspector!” she purred. “You appear to have been holding out on me.”  
“Have I?”  
“You would have led me to believe that you are not interested in dancing, and yet, you dance very well,” she said, sparkling up at him.  
However, Jack’s attention was not fully on Phryne at that moment. He was trying to maneuver himself and Phryne out of the way of a fellow occupant of the dance floor, who was more flailing than dancing. Jack answered without thinking, “Rosie liked to dance.”  
“Oh.” Phryne smiled, but the sparkle had faded. “Of course she did,” she said softly. “Who wouldn’t?”  
Someone less observant, or less attuned to Phryne, might have missed it. “I’m sorry,” Jack said. “I shouldn’t have brought that up.”  
“Not at all,” Phryne said. “It’s simply part of your past.”  
Jack smiled. “But this, Miss Fisher,” he raised his arm to signal her to turn, “is the present.”  
As she stepped back into his arms after the turn, he saw that the sparkle was back. “Yes, it is.”

As the evening went on, the music slowed, the lights dimmed, and Phryne was feeling very happy. She had managed to avoid any other partners all evening. She and Jack had found their way to a corner of the ballroom, and Phryne hoped no one would notice that she had let her head rest softly against Jack’s shoulder as they moved slowly together. Jack, of course, had noticed, although he didn’t say anything, as he was enjoying it, too. But after a moment, he asked, “Phryne? Were you wanting to solve a murder this evening?”  
She felt his voice as well as heard it. She loved the sound of that voice. How could it possibly be gravelly and velvety at once?  
She raised her head and looked up at him. “A murder?” she puzzled.  
“I believe from the look on her face that your Aunt Prudence would like to kill me…”

 

A little while later, Phryne suggested a break. She and Jack each helped themselves to drinks, and Phryne suggested they step outside to the coolness of the terrace. They wandered out, enjoying the freshness of the night air, and found a less populated spot to look out over the grounds. Phryne leaned against the balustrade and sighed, “Oh, this is lovely.”  
“From where I’m standing, it’s beautiful.”  
Phryne looked up in surprise. Her glittering topaz eyes met the lapis of his. She breathed, “Jack,” and laid a hand on his lapel. Somehow, this time, that was all it took. 

 

Inside, Hugh and Dot had been searching frantically for the Inspector and Miss Phryne. They didn’t appear to be anywhere on the dance floor. “Maybe they’re on the terrace,” Dot suggested. She and Hugh made their way outside.  
Hugh saw them first, barely visible in a corner against the balustrade. They stood very close together, and then turned toward each other. “There they are!” he said to Dottie, and pointed them out. He started to walk resolutely toward them.  
“Hugh, wait!” Dottie said. Something about the way they moved tipped her off, and she grabbed Hugh’s arm to stop him from calling out to the Inspector.  
“But I need to tell him—“ Hugh insisted.  
“No. Give them this,” Dottie said, and as she spoke, they watched the Inspector lean down to kiss Miss Phryne. Miss Phryne wrapped her arms around his neck and seemed to melt into him.  
“Oh,” Hugh said shrewdly.  
Dottie sighed. “They’re not like us, Hugh,” she said sadly. “It’s so easy for us, but.. not for them. Your news can wait just a moment.”  
They watched for awhile, then Hugh turned to Dottie. “I’m not so sure they’re going to stop after just a moment.” 

Jack and Phryne moved apart briefly. “It’s a little too public here, I think,” Jack said.  
“Agreed,” Phryne murmured, her eyes never leaving his face. “Let’s find someplace more private.”  
“Do you know a place?”  
“We’re detectives, Jack! We’ll find something!” she laughed. He shook his head, and took her hand, and they started off in search of an alcove or corner or… Just at that moment, they saw two people heading their way.  
“What—“ started Jack.  
“Is that—“ Phryne exclaimed.  
“Inspector!” Hugh said, feeling rather pleased with himself. Not only did he have the important news the Inspector was waiting for, he had discovered the Inspector’s whereabouts all on his own. Well, with Dottie’s help, of course.  
Both the Inspector and Miss Fisher must have been impressed, because they both stood silent in disbelief.


End file.
